'Euphoria' Gave Cal Jabs a Tragilly Gay Villa Orig Story

Contents:

• 21 "EUPHORIA" MOMENTS THAT THE GAYS ARE STILL THKG ABOUT
• EUPHORIA FANS DISCS IF NATE JABS IS GAY AMIDST LEXI’S SHOCKG PLAY
• IS JAB ELORDI’S NATE JABS GAY EUPHORIA?
• IS NATE JABS (JAB ELORDI) GAY ‘EUPHORIA’ TV SERI?
• EUPHORIA: NATE’S DAD GETS A BTERSWEET ORIG STORY “I KNOW WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE,” SAYS ERIC DANE, WHO PLAYS CAL—AND EPLY RELAT TO HIS TORTURED CHARACTER.BY YOHANA DTAJANUARY 23, 2022COURTY OF HBO. SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHIS PIECE NTAS SPOILERS FOR SEASON TWO, EPISO THREE, OF EUPHORIA.  CAL JABS HAS, AT LAST, GOTTEN THE ORIG-STORY TREATMENT. ON SUNDAY NIGHT’S EPISO OF EUPHORIA, FANS FALLY GOT AN EYE-OPENG REVELATN TO WHY NATE’S DAD IS THE WAY HE IS (READ: VILLAO, TORMENTED, CLOSETED), REVEALG THE BTER ROOTS OF HIS SON’S SEVERE DADDY ISSU. THE EPISO, WRTEN BY SHOW CREATOR SAM LEVSON, STARTS WH A FLASHBACK TO CAL HIGH SCHOOL. HE’S A STAR WRTLER, HAPPY AND GOOD-NATURED SPE OF HIS STRICT, OVERBEARG FATHER. HE SPENDS ALL HIS SPARE TIME WH HIS BT IEND DEREK. THEY START FALLG FOR EACH OTHER, BUT BSH THEIR FEELGS ASI, STEAD MAKG A GRAND SHOW OF GETTG GIRLIENDS AND HOOKG UP WH THEM—SOMETIM THE SAME ROOM, STEALG GLANC AT EACH OTHER. ON GRADUATN NIGHT, DEREK TAK CAL OUT SO THEY N CELEBRATE ALONE. (THE FUTURE IS G FOR THEM: CAL’S OFF TO DE, WHILE DEREK’S HEADG TO A STATE SCHOOL OUT WT.) DEREK’S SPOT TURNS OUT TO BE A GAY BAR, AND CAL ROLLS WH . THEY HEAD TO THE DANCE FLOOR, SPNG AROUND TO INXS’S “NEVER TEAR US APART.” IT’S KD OF A SUBURBAN Y TU MAMá TAMBIEN MOMENT, TWO BOYS AND A JEBOX A SPARSE BAR. THEY EVENTUALLY START KISSG, SHGGG OFF THEIR HETERO FA. BUT THE FANTASY IS DISPTED THE NEXT MORNG, WHEN CAL’S GIRLIEND MARSHA TELLS HIM SHE’S PREGNANT. AND, AS WE KNOW OM THE SHOW, SHE CIS TO KEEP THE CHILD. THE TWO GET MARRIED AND HAVE ANOTHER KID, NATE (JAB ELORDI), WHILE CAL STAYS THE CLOSET, HAVG NUMERO AFFAIRS AND SECRETLY FILMG HIS SEXUAL ENUNTERS. HIS BIFURTED LIFTYLE—UPSTANDG PILLAR OF THE MUNY BY DAY, CLOSETED CHEATER BY NIGHT—EVENTUALLY IMPRTS ON NATE, MOLDG HIS SON TO A VLENT MI-ME. ACTOR ERIC DANE, WHO PLAYS CAL, FOUND THE FLASHBACK “HEARTBREAKG,” EPENG HIS UNRSTANDG OF HIS BROKEN CHARACTER. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE CAL, BUT I KNOW WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE,” THE ACTOR SAID, LLG OM HIS HOME LOS ANGEL. “I’VE HAD MY OWN EXPERIENCE WH DG AND ALHOL ABE. THAT’S A DOUBLE LIFE.”THE ACTOR, WHO SHOT TO FAME AS DR. MARK SLOAN (AKA MCSTEAMY) GREY’S ANATOMY, HAS BEEN NDID ABOUT HIS BATTLE WH DGS, VOLUNTARILY ENTERG REHAB 2011 FOR AN ADDICTN TO PAKILLERS FOLLOWG A SPORTS JURY. “TRYG TO KEEP THAT SECRET IS TOUGH,” HE NTUED. “EVENTUALLY EVERYTHG ALWAYS TCH UP WH YOU.”DANE HAD NO IA ABOUT CAL’S HIGH SCHOOL BACKSTORY GOG TO SEASON TWO. “I TST SAM SO MUCH,” HE SAID. “I’VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO PICK THE WRER’S BRA ABOUT WHAT’S G UP THE FUTURE.… I KNOW ’S GOOD HANDS.”DANE FIRST READ THE SCRIPT AT THE ST’S FIRST TABLE READ, WHICH TOOK PLACE MARCH 2020. BUT LIKE VIRTUALLY EVERYTHG ELSE PRODUCTN AT THE TIME, SEASON TWO OF EUPHORIA WAS QUICKLY SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE PANMIC, NOT PICKG UP AGA UNTIL 2021. (IN THE TERIM, LEVSON SHOT THE FEATURE MALLM & MARIE, PL TWO SPECIAL EPISOS OF EUPHORIA CENTERED ON RUE AND JUL, RPECTIVELY.) IN THE FLASHBACK, CAL IS PLAYED BY A WNG ELIAS KAVAS. THOUGH DANE DON’T APPEAR THOSE SCEN, HE SPENT SOME TIME ON SET WHEN THEY WERE BEG SHOT, GETTG TO KNOW THE YOUNG ACTOR—WHO WILL NEXT BE SEEN A TEEN SHOW OF A DIFFERENT STRIPE, PRETTY LTLE LIARS: ORIGAL S. “HE WAS TERRIFIC,” DANE SAID, THOUGH HE ADMS HE DIDN’T UNRSTAND THE STG CHOICE AT FIRST. “AT FIRST GLANCE, I WAS LIKE, THAT’S YOUNG CAL? AND THEN I STARTED TALKG TO THE GUY AND I WATCHED SOME OF HIS STUFF AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH. THAT’S YOUNG CAL.”MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORDWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORDAFTER THE FLASHBACK, THE EPISO TCH UP TO MORN-DAY CAL, WHO’S STALKG FEZ’S HOE AFTER NATE TELLS HIM THE DG ALER OBTAED THE SEX TAPE CAL SECRETLY MA WHEN HE MTED STATUTORY RAPE WH JUL. ASHTRAY (JAVON “WANNA” WALTON) BRGS CAL TO THE HOE AT GUNPOT, QUTNG HIM AND BEATG HIM OVER THE HEAD WH THE END OF THE SHOTGUN. “THAT SCENE WAS A LTLE TOUGH BEE I DID TAKE MULTIPLE SHOTS TO THE HEAD,” DANE NOT. “IT WAS A PROP GUN, BUT AFTER 50-SOMETHG SHOTS, FEELS LIKE A SHOTGUN.” HE’S GRATEFUL TO THE 15-YEAR-OLD WALTON, WHO REAL LIFE IS A HIGHLY TRAED BOXER CURRENTLY WORKG TOWARD THE 2024 OLYMPICS: “HE WAS REALLY GOOD AT WORKG THAT SHOTGUN SO I DIDN’T END UP WH A NCSN AT THE END OF THE DAY.”IN THE SCENE, DON’T TAKE LONG FOR CAL TO REALIZE THAT FEZ, WHO IS UTTERLY NFED BY THE WHOLE SUATN, DON’T HAVE THE TAPE. SLOWLY, THE SCENE TILTS AWAY OM DRAMA AND UP TOWARD EDY, WH DANE LIKENG TO A BIZARRO EPISO OF THREE’S COMPANY. IT WAS A RARE TREAT FOR HIM TO ACT ALONGSI OTHER ST MEMBERS OF THE SHOW, AS MOST OF HIS SCEN ARE UALLY WH ELORDI. HE’S NOT PLAG, THOUGH: “I LOVE HIM LIKE A LTLE BROTHER,” HE SAID OF THE YOUNG ATRALIAN ACTOR, WHO OCSNALLY ASKS DANE FOR ADVICE AND GEEKS OUT ABOUT THE CRAFT OF ACTG. “Z IS THAT WAY [TOO],” DANE ADDS—REFERRG, OF URSE, TO ZENDAYA, THE SHOW’S LEAD. “EVERYBODY’S SO TALENTED ON THE SHOW, THAT AT TIM I FEEL LIKE I’M PUNCHG ABOVE MY WEIGHT,” DANE SAYS. “THE KIDS ARE SO PREC, YOU KNOW? THEY’RE 20-SOMETHGS. IT’S UNBELIEVABLE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— TV STAR SARAH WYNTER’S BATTLE WH POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— THE BT MOVI AND SHOWS STREAMG ON NETFLIX THIS MONTH— 21 WARDROBE WNERS INSPIRED BY AND JT LIKE THAT…— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSANNE BOYLAND, A CAPOL RTER— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JOAN DIDN, OUR LADY OF L.A.— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”YOHANA DTA

21 "EUPHORIA" MOMENTS THAT THE GAYS ARE STILL THKG ABOUT

When asked about the stggle Jabs has wh his sexualy, Elordi rpond that 's not as simple as his character beg gay or straight. "So I thk 's ls about this kd of poppy social thg where everyone wants to be like, 'Is Nate gay? Euphoria's sophomore season was a roller aster of emotn.

Pl, is actor Jab Elordi gay? Many are eager to unrstand: Is Nate Jabs gay or queer, and is this where his reprsn stems om? Article ntu below advertisementOf urse, Nate don't want to be gay, and his disgt toward the appearanc his father has put on to mata a happy suburban life manifts self throughout the season as straight-up homophobia.

EUPHORIA FANS DISCS IF NATE JABS IS GAY AMIDST LEXI’S SHOCKG PLAY

At the very least, we hope allows him to explore his sir more Jab Elordi gay? It was a much-need ep dive to a character whose entire personaly th far has basilly been prented as a “pick me” girl plex bed wh a burgeong csh on everybody’s favore dg aler, one scene particular was fairly jarrg to me, namely the gay locker room dance starrg Ethan as the Nate Jabs stand- character the play. We see Ethan lip-syncg for his life to gay anthem “Holdg Out For a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler, surround by boys clad sktight gold pants.

IS JAB ELORDI’S NATE JABS GAY EUPHORIA?

And then the homoerotic subtext of the gyratg jt flat out be pla ole (simulated) gay sex, much to the light of the dience. It was over-the-top, playg off the well-worn trope of the closeted jock, but after Euphoria’s mishandlg of the Cal Jabs storyle, what uld have been an attempt at morally plex satire actually felt a ltle when Nate himself said after the play, “That sh was so fuck’ homophobic, ” I sadly had to agree wh the Very Tall Boy.

IS NATE JABS (JAB ELORDI) GAY ‘EUPHORIA’ TV SERI?

The le has sce spurred plenty of good TikToks clowng on Nate’s sudn turn to “allyship, ” but the unfortunate thg is that he kd of spilled on Euphoria self wh that one, albe totally all that the show seems to believe that is genuely transgrsive, ntu to fall back to age-old homophobic trop aga and aga.

As TikToker @patsycheck poted out, at this pot, the “tall, angry, homophobic jock teenage boy” who “asslts everyone around them jt bee they’re closeted themselv” is a tired stereotype and of self at this pot — and to repeat this character arc not jt wh Nate, but wh his dad, too, feels jt as tired as is be clear, g trop don’t mean a show n’t be good. )Maybe if the show had more nuance headg to the school play episo, the cisn to have Lexi clu the gay locker room dance her play would have e across differently, like the plaly homophobic antics of a high schooler reachg for every tool at her disposal to take Nate Jabs down a if Euphoria n’t even get a handle on s own homophobia, any attempts to satirize were bound to fall totally flat.

EUPHORIA: NATE’S DAD GETS A BTERSWEET ORIG STORY “I KNOW WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE,” SAYS ERIC DANE, WHO PLAYS CAL—AND EPLY RELAT TO HIS TORTURED CHARACTER.BY YOHANA DTAJANUARY 23, 2022COURTY OF HBO. SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVETHIS PIECE NTAS SPOILERS FOR SEASON TWO, EPISO THREE, OF EUPHORIA.  CAL JABS HAS, AT LAST, GOTTEN THE ORIG-STORY TREATMENT. ON SUNDAY NIGHT’S EPISO OF EUPHORIA, FANS FALLY GOT AN EYE-OPENG REVELATN TO WHY NATE’S DAD IS THE WAY HE IS (READ: VILLAO, TORMENTED, CLOSETED), REVEALG THE BTER ROOTS OF HIS SON’S SEVERE DADDY ISSU. THE EPISO, WRTEN BY SHOW CREATOR SAM LEVSON, STARTS WH A FLASHBACK TO CAL HIGH SCHOOL. HE’S A STAR WRTLER, HAPPY AND GOOD-NATURED SPE OF HIS STRICT, OVERBEARG FATHER. HE SPENDS ALL HIS SPARE TIME WH HIS BT IEND DEREK. THEY START FALLG FOR EACH OTHER, BUT BSH THEIR FEELGS ASI, STEAD MAKG A GRAND SHOW OF GETTG GIRLIENDS AND HOOKG UP WH THEM—SOMETIM THE SAME ROOM, STEALG GLANC AT EACH OTHER. ON GRADUATN NIGHT, DEREK TAK CAL OUT SO THEY N CELEBRATE ALONE. (THE FUTURE IS G FOR THEM: CAL’S OFF TO DE, WHILE DEREK’S HEADG TO A STATE SCHOOL OUT WT.) DEREK’S SPOT TURNS OUT TO BE A GAY BAR, AND CAL ROLLS WH . THEY HEAD TO THE DANCE FLOOR, SPNG AROUND TO INXS’S “NEVER TEAR US APART.” IT’S KD OF A SUBURBAN Y TU MAMá TAMBIEN MOMENT, TWO BOYS AND A JEBOX A SPARSE BAR. THEY EVENTUALLY START KISSG, SHGGG OFF THEIR HETERO FA. BUT THE FANTASY IS DISPTED THE NEXT MORNG, WHEN CAL’S GIRLIEND MARSHA TELLS HIM SHE’S PREGNANT. AND, AS WE KNOW OM THE SHOW, SHE CIS TO KEEP THE CHILD. THE TWO GET MARRIED AND HAVE ANOTHER KID, NATE (JAB ELORDI), WHILE CAL STAYS THE CLOSET, HAVG NUMERO AFFAIRS AND SECRETLY FILMG HIS SEXUAL ENUNTERS. HIS BIFURTED LIFTYLE—UPSTANDG PILLAR OF THE MUNY BY DAY, CLOSETED CHEATER BY NIGHT—EVENTUALLY IMPRTS ON NATE, MOLDG HIS SON TO A VLENT MI-ME. ACTOR ERIC DANE, WHO PLAYS CAL, FOUND THE FLASHBACK “HEARTBREAKG,” EPENG HIS UNRSTANDG OF HIS BROKEN CHARACTER. “I DON’T KNOW WHAT ’S LIKE TO BE CAL, BUT I KNOW WHAT ’S LIKE TO LIVE A DOUBLE LIFE,” THE ACTOR SAID, LLG OM HIS HOME LOS ANGEL. “I’VE HAD MY OWN EXPERIENCE WH DG AND ALHOL ABE. THAT’S A DOUBLE LIFE.”THE ACTOR, WHO SHOT TO FAME AS DR. MARK SLOAN (AKA MCSTEAMY) GREY’S ANATOMY, HAS BEEN NDID ABOUT HIS BATTLE WH DGS, VOLUNTARILY ENTERG REHAB 2011 FOR AN ADDICTN TO PAKILLERS FOLLOWG A SPORTS JURY. “TRYG TO KEEP THAT SECRET IS TOUGH,” HE NTUED. “EVENTUALLY EVERYTHG ALWAYS TCH UP WH YOU.”DANE HAD NO IA ABOUT CAL’S HIGH SCHOOL BACKSTORY GOG TO SEASON TWO. “I TST SAM SO MUCH,” HE SAID. “I’VE NEVER BEEN ONE TO PICK THE WRER’S BRA ABOUT WHAT’S G UP THE FUTURE.… I KNOW ’S GOOD HANDS.”DANE FIRST READ THE SCRIPT AT THE ST’S FIRST TABLE READ, WHICH TOOK PLACE MARCH 2020. BUT LIKE VIRTUALLY EVERYTHG ELSE PRODUCTN AT THE TIME, SEASON TWO OF EUPHORIA WAS QUICKLY SHUT DOWN DUE TO THE PANMIC, NOT PICKG UP AGA UNTIL 2021. (IN THE TERIM, LEVSON SHOT THE FEATURE MALLM & MARIE, PL TWO SPECIAL EPISOS OF EUPHORIA CENTERED ON RUE AND JUL, RPECTIVELY.) IN THE FLASHBACK, CAL IS PLAYED BY A WNG ELIAS KAVAS. THOUGH DANE DON’T APPEAR THOSE SCEN, HE SPENT SOME TIME ON SET WHEN THEY WERE BEG SHOT, GETTG TO KNOW THE YOUNG ACTOR—WHO WILL NEXT BE SEEN A TEEN SHOW OF A DIFFERENT STRIPE, PRETTY LTLE LIARS: ORIGAL S. “HE WAS TERRIFIC,” DANE SAID, THOUGH HE ADMS HE DIDN’T UNRSTAND THE STG CHOICE AT FIRST. “AT FIRST GLANCE, I WAS LIKE, THAT’S YOUNG CAL? AND THEN I STARTED TALKG TO THE GUY AND I WATCHED SOME OF HIS STUFF AND I WAS LIKE, YEAH. THAT’S YOUNG CAL.”MOST POPULARTHE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWBY TARA ARIANOWELE TO SALTBURN’S TWISTED GOTHIC TALEBY REBEC FORDWH MATRO, LEONARD BERNSTE’S LEGACY AND LOV FALLY H THE BIG SCREENBY REBEC FORDAFTER THE FLASHBACK, THE EPISO TCH UP TO MORN-DAY CAL, WHO’S STALKG FEZ’S HOE AFTER NATE TELLS HIM THE DG ALER OBTAED THE SEX TAPE CAL SECRETLY MA WHEN HE MTED STATUTORY RAPE WH JUL. ASHTRAY (JAVON “WANNA” WALTON) BRGS CAL TO THE HOE AT GUNPOT, QUTNG HIM AND BEATG HIM OVER THE HEAD WH THE END OF THE SHOTGUN. “THAT SCENE WAS A LTLE TOUGH BEE I DID TAKE MULTIPLE SHOTS TO THE HEAD,” DANE NOT. “IT WAS A PROP GUN, BUT AFTER 50-SOMETHG SHOTS, FEELS LIKE A SHOTGUN.” HE’S GRATEFUL TO THE 15-YEAR-OLD WALTON, WHO REAL LIFE IS A HIGHLY TRAED BOXER CURRENTLY WORKG TOWARD THE 2024 OLYMPICS: “HE WAS REALLY GOOD AT WORKG THAT SHOTGUN SO I DIDN’T END UP WH A NCSN AT THE END OF THE DAY.”IN THE SCENE, DON’T TAKE LONG FOR CAL TO REALIZE THAT FEZ, WHO IS UTTERLY NFED BY THE WHOLE SUATN, DON’T HAVE THE TAPE. SLOWLY, THE SCENE TILTS AWAY OM DRAMA AND UP TOWARD EDY, WH DANE LIKENG TO A BIZARRO EPISO OF THREE’S COMPANY. IT WAS A RARE TREAT FOR HIM TO ACT ALONGSI OTHER ST MEMBERS OF THE SHOW, AS MOST OF HIS SCEN ARE UALLY WH ELORDI. HE’S NOT PLAG, THOUGH: “I LOVE HIM LIKE A LTLE BROTHER,” HE SAID OF THE YOUNG ATRALIAN ACTOR, WHO OCSNALLY ASKS DANE FOR ADVICE AND GEEKS OUT ABOUT THE CRAFT OF ACTG. “Z IS THAT WAY [TOO],” DANE ADDS—REFERRG, OF URSE, TO ZENDAYA, THE SHOW’S LEAD. “EVERYBODY’S SO TALENTED ON THE SHOW, THAT AT TIM I FEEL LIKE I’M PUNCHG ABOVE MY WEIGHT,” DANE SAYS. “THE KIDS ARE SO PREC, YOU KNOW? THEY’RE 20-SOMETHGS. IT’S UNBELIEVABLE.”MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIR— TV STAR SARAH WYNTER’S BATTLE WH POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS— CARíONA BALFE’S CELTIC CONQUT, FROM OUTLANR TO BELFAST— THE BT MOVI AND SHOWS STREAMG ON NETFLIX THIS MONTH— 21 WARDROBE WNERS INSPIRED BY AND JT LIKE THAT…— WHAT VIVIAN VANCE DIDN’T LOVE ABOUT I LOVE LUCY— THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSANNE BOYLAND, A CAPOL RTER— INSECURE’S NATASHA ROTHWELL CAN DO IT ALL— FROM THE ARCHIVE: JOAN DIDN, OUR LADY OF L.A.— SIGN UP FOR THE “HWD DAILY” NEWSLETTER FOR MT-READ DTRY AND AWARDS VERAGE—PL A SPECIAL WEEKLY EDN OF “AWARDS INSIR.”YOHANA DTA

In sence, the show self has kd of been dog macro exactly what the gay locker room scene did micro, which mak hard to expect the viewer to make sense of that moment Lexi’s play. Nate’s ment that the scene was “so fuckg homophobic” seems — to me, at least — to monstrate that the show genuely believ is beyond reproach. When Nate, somethg of the villa of the seri, lls the scene “homophobic, ” some viewers will e away thkg that the scriptn is tacly absurd.

We, the enlightened viewers, ought to know that the suggtive water bottle spray shots and lispg football players actually nstute a profound social mentary on the trappgs of masculy, all of which is gog over Nate’s empty if we were meant to agree wh Nate that the gay locker room dance was homophobic, then the show is still playg the same “have your ke and eat , too” game that, say, 30 Rock did around qutns of race.